Support NeoGAF

[ArtHands]

May’s top Steam games by copies sold: Two new big launches, Helldivers 2’s return, and ongoing indie smash hits

It’s that time again. We already published our May data on Steam’s top new games by revenues, but now it’s time to look at the top-performing Steam games by copies sold.

alineaanalytics.com

From the same reliable source that claims Indiana Jones sold faster on PS5

Helldivers 2 was May's #5 Steam game by copies sold, selling another 537K copies – the most it's sold on the platform since April 2024. Let's div … sigh … jump in.


Helldivers 2 was 2024's breakout hit, and has now sold 11.8 million copies on Steam alone overall, generating revenues of $370 million. Helldivers 2 has been a huge hit for Sony – its biggest PC success to date and one of its biggest games ever. We don't talk about Concord…

 

[HRK69]

 

[DenchDeckard]

More sales on one platform than Last of Us 2 had in two years.......Imagine the budget difference between those two games.

I love Helldivers II.

Can understand why Sony wants to focus more on Gaas if they get a hit like this.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

hey look its fraudanalytics again

 

[Ozriel]

Can we stop quoting Alineanalytics estimates as factual data?

We've had multiple folks like Gamalytic, VGinsights et al make estimates for years, and we haven't seen anyone dogmatically cling to these estimates as hard data. Then these guys come on the scene and suddenly they're everywhere.

Are people being paid to market these guys?

 

[scydrex]

Is doing well for a $40 GAAS game. There are games that are doing better as GAAS but those are free. Some people say it's a failure as a GAAS like diffusionx but compare to what? To a F2P game?

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Almost enough to offset the loss of Concord...

 

[Solarstrike]

 

[Loomy]

Until these people start citing sources or disclosing methodology, we should probably stop posting their numbers.

 

[MarV0]

I like how R.E.P.O is the most popular game of 2025 yet it gets zero media coverage.

Can advertising budgets be justified these days? Let your game speak for itself.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

Great game, dropping 500kg on top of bugs/voteless never got old

 

[Mr Moose]

Alinea Analytics

Stopped reading there.

 

[Kvally]

Alinea Analytics

 

[thekillergreece]

More sales on one platform than Last of Us 2 had in two years.......Imagine the budget difference between those two games.

Entirely different games.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Alinea Analytics

 

[coachmcguirk91]

More sales on one platform than Last of Us 2 had in two years.......Imagine the budget difference between those two games.

I love Helldivers II.

Can understand why Sony wants to focus more on Gaas if they get a hit like this.

Both are big hits. TLOU2 sold 2+mil in the last few months alone

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I entered for the boob shots, but it seems I misread.

 

[poppabk]

Can we stop quoting Alineanalytics estimates as factual data?

We've had multiple folks like Gamalytic, VGinsights et al make estimates for years, and we haven't seen anyone dogmatically cling to these estimates as hard data. Then these guys come on the scene and suddenly they're everywhere.

Are people being paid to market these guys?

They are just better at telling people what they want to hear.

 

[mckmas8808]

More sales on one platform than Last of Us 2 had in two years.......Imagine the budget difference between those two games.

I love Helldivers II.

Can understand why Sony wants to focus more on Gaas if they get a hit like this.

You don't believe anything that you're saying right here, so stop the BS!

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Alinea should be a banned source. They are literally spewing BS without any semblance of a transparent methodology.

 

[jm89]

Alinea Analytics

Although having said that Helldivers 2 obviously sold a shit ton on pc and ps5.

 

[Holammer]

 

[BennyBlanco]

Lol exactly. Where was this energy in this thread?

Sales-Age  Thread 'Indiana Jones is selling more on PS5 than Xbox/Steam'

Apr 25, 2025

Indiana Jones is selling copies on PS5 faster than it did on Xbox/Steam.Our estimates show that just under 5 million Xbox players checked out Indiana Jones. The VAST majority of these came in via Game Pass.

​

• Draugoth
• Replies: 541
• Forum: Gaming Discussion

• 
• 
• 

 

[Nydius]

Alinea should be a banned source. They are literally spewing BS without any semblance of a transparent methodology.

I was about to type this exact thing. VGChartz is a banned source and even they're more transparent than this outfit.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

Just like I commented in the doom thread, I don't believe this guys and their data.

But at the same time, it is believable that Helldivers 2 managed to sell that much on steam alone. Heck wouldn't be suprised if it sold even more copies than that.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Just like I commented in the doom thread, I don't believe this guys and their data.

But at the same time, it is believable that Helldivers 2 managed to sell that much on steam alone. Heck wouldn't be suprised if it sold even more copies than that.

It's not about the numbers, it's about sources of these numbers.

 

[Holammer]

Whatever you may think of Alinea, fact remains there's a ridiculous amount of Steam user reviews for Helldivers 2.
1,017,348 (from which 740k users bought it directly on the Steam Store)

There's obviously a direct correlation between numbers of user reviews and sales. Terraria which sold 32M copies on PC has 1.4M user reviews. The PSN login controversy tainted the numbers as angry users flooded the system with reviews, but HD2 still sold massive numbers and I think 12M is a conservative estimate.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

It's not about the numbers, it's about sources of these numbers.

Yeah, that's what I meant. I wouldn't be suprised if the game has done those numbers but the Alina as a source isn't trustable

 

[Baemono]

It looks like they pull numbers from somewhere dark to be shared en masse to gain wide recognition. Shouldn't be posted without more actual data

 

[StueyDuck]

I remember before launch there were many on gaf saying it was gonna bomb and looked bad

I loved the first game and i knew HD2 was gonna be special. Glad it's done so well for both the franchise and for Arrowhead.

 

[Killer8]

Can't wait for Alinea to join the list of banned sources.

 

[EN250]

More sales on one platform than Last of Us 2 had in two years.......Imagine the budget difference between those two games.

I love Helldivers II.

Can understand why Sony wants to focus more on Gaas if they get a hit like this.

Big, giant IF, something they're unable to replicate to this day...

 

[DenchDeckard]

You don't believe anything that you're saying right here, so stop the BS!

What?

are you saying I don't like helldivers II??

You crazy son.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

sold? what an outdated and useless metric!!!!

 

[Ozriel]

Lmao @ Steamspy

Whatever you may think of Alinea, fact remains there's a ridiculous amount of Steam user reviews for Helldivers 2.
1,017,348 (from which 740k users bought it directly on the Steam Store)

There's obviously a direct correlation between numbers of user reviews and sales. Terraria which sold 32M copies on PC has 1.4M user reviews. The PSN login controversy tainted the numbers as angry users flooded the system with reviews, but HD2 still sold massive numbers and I think 12M is a conservative estimate.

I don't think anyone disputes that HD2 sold VERY well. It could well be above 11 million. But let's not pass estimates as factual data

 

[calico]

People really do get unreasonably shook by Alinea estimates.

 

[Topher]

Lol exactly. Where was this energy in this thread?

Sales-Age  Thread 'Indiana Jones is selling more on PS5 than Xbox/Steam'

Apr 25, 2025

Indiana Jones is selling copies on PS5 faster than it did on Xbox/Steam.Our estimates show that just under 5 million Xbox players checked out Indiana Jones. The VAST majority of these came in via Game Pass.

​

• Draugoth
• Replies: 541
• Forum: Gaming Discussion

• 
• 
• 

I know I and others have questioned them as a source on a few occassions even if not in that specific thread. These guys are claiming to have worldwide sales data for each game and I think that's obviously just bullshit. Most real analytic organizations only focus on a specific region because there is no way they would have the resources to poll the entire world. So these numbers being thrown around just seem baseless.

Or....they come from places like this....

Lmao @ Steamspy

I don't think anyone disputes that HD2 sold VERY well. It could well be above 11 million. But let's not pass estimates as factual data

 

[kruis]

It looks like they pull numbers from somewhere dark to be shared en masse to gain wide recognition. Shouldn't be posted without more actual data

We usually call that dark place where those tales come from an ass.

 

[Kerotan]

Possibly close to 20M total?

 

[yogaflame]

That is why Sony is stupid to leave them, and not fund there next project. I thought Sony is obsess with GAAS, they succeeded, and very based, and yet Sony will leave them?

 

[BennyBlanco]

I know I and others have questioned them as a source on a few occassions even if not in that specific thread. These guys are claiming to have worldwide sales data for each game and I think that's obviously just bullshit. Most real analytic organizations only focus on a specific region because there is no way they would have the resources to poll the entire world. So these numbers being thrown around just seem baseless.

Or....they come from places like this....

I have questioned them myself, and you are my boy Topher but you are on the first page of that thread not questioning anything

 

[Topher]

I have questioned them myself, and you are my boy Topher but you are on the first page of that thread not questioning anything

I mean....I just said "not in that specific thread". It wasn't until just last month that I started wondering about how legit these guys were and only after someone else brought it up. If you want to count that as a gotcha then go ahead, I guess.

Yeah.....I'm a bit skeptical that this new analysis firm actually has any real data at all. They might, but they are very new on the scene.

 

[ResilientBanana]

It's a good game, that's fantastic. I hope to see more Sony games on Steam.

 

[PixelatedBeast]

But why is Sony still investing in GAAS?

 

[Holammer]

That is why Sony is stupid to leave them, and not fund there next project. I thought Sony is obsess with GAAS, they succeeded, and very based, and yet Sony will leave them?

I don't think Sony left them. It's more likely Arrowhead secured enough funding of their own and wants to reach players without the PSN baggage on Xbox & Switch 2... too
Just like FROM Software signed with Sony for Demon's Souls & Bloodborne back when they suffered a rough patch, neither company is itching to sign away their rights & profit if they can help it.

 

[mckmas8808]

What?

are you saying I don't like helldivers II??

You crazy son.

I'm sure you love HD2. I'm talking about your final thought where you "fake it" and say no wonder Sony is wanting to do GAAS games more now.

1. You know good and well Sony has canceled most of those games since they fired Jim Ryan.

2. Naughty Dog's OWN Live Service game was cancelled (it made no money/it ONLY lost money), yet their Single Player game (TLOU 2) has sold over an estimated 15 million units and generated over an estimated $600 Million.

3. CONCORD........

 

[Negotiator101]

Almost enough to offset the loss of Concord...

Absolutely but not enough to offset all the cancellations and of course the soon to fail Marathon.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I'm sure you love HD2. I'm talking about your final thought where you "fake it" and say no wonder Sony is wanting to do GAAS games more now.

1. You know good and well Sony has canceled most of those games since they fired Jim Ryan.

2. Naughty Dog's OWN Live Service game was cancelled (it made no money/it ONLY lost money), yet their Single Player game (TLOU 2) has sold over an estimated 15 million units and generated over an estimated $600 Million.

3. CONCORD........

Oh yeah, i get that stuff but I was just saying I could underatand a suit looking at paper numbers and thinking this game that costs have as much as this linear single player game has drastically out performed what was one of our biggest most popular franchises.

You can see why these suits made these terrible decisions. And tried to make naughty dog make a full fledged gaas title instead of a multiplayer mode

 

[ArtHands]

Basically this yes.

 

[mckmas8808]

Oh yeah, i get that stuff but I was just saying I could underatand a suit looking at paper numbers and thinking this game that costs have as much as this linear single player game has drastically out performed what was one of our biggest most popular franchises.

You can see why these suits made these terrible decisions. And tried to make naughty dog make a full fledged gaas title instead of a multiplayer mode

And I can see why that same suit got fired Japanese style too. PlayStation literally never made decisions like that in it's 30 year history until Jim Ryan screwed everything up.